"So how long are you staying
with us?" Nasreena asked Aish. Haifa had freshened up and brought Aish to
the dining room for breakfast after storing away her luggage bag.
"Just a week," Aish
replied, beaming at her.
"She has started working in her
father's company. She's going to be a manager soon," Haifa boasted,
sitting next to her.
Aish laughed, "Hardly. Daddy
thinks we should start from the bottom and work our way up. He says the process
makes us more experienced."
Nasreena took the food plates from
Rugiyya as she brought them in from the kitchen. "He's right. It's nice
you have joined him instead of working elsewhere," she said, neatly
arranging the plates in front of them.
Aish and Haifa dug in. "You
should take her around the island before she leaves," Nasreena suggested.
Haifa nodded, "We have already
planned. She will also go on my next photo shoot. I can't wait to show her
everything."
Haifa was determined to put on a
happy mood. She didn't want her sorrow to be seen by anyone, especially her
mother. Plus, she wanted to make up to Aish for the way she had treated her for
the past months. She regretted neglecting her and being too self-involved.
Haifa had checked numerous times for
any updates on Aseel's trip. She had googled the time of the flight to Dubai
and the time there. She made mental calculations and decided he must be
sleeping after the midnight flight. Haifa did not know if he had taken a SIM
card or not, but she had sent messages on WhatsApp, apologizing and asking him
to give her a call.
Haifa understood Aish's view, but
she still found it hard to believe. Part of her knew she spoke the truth; he
did do things like she said. But Haifa needed to know for sure. She needed to
talk to him because whenever he did something like that, her heart felt heavy,
and her depression mounted. She had the sinking feeling that he might let her
go.
She watched as the family chatted,
Saira and Afa had joined them and was planning swims and fishing trip with Aish.
"When did you say your next shoot is?" Aish turned to her, bringing
her out of her miserable thoughts.
"Tuesday," Haifa replied.
"Khalid, the resort manager, said it was the day they had planned many
events. They even have flyboarding."
Afa looked at her, curious.
"What's a flyboard?" she asked.
Haifa explained, "It's a
watersport. Some sort of board is attached to a jet ski with a hose. You stand
on the board, and it flies up in the air."
“Oh, I want to fly on the board,” Excited,
Afa turned to her mother, "Mamma, can I go flying, please?" she
pleaded.
Her mother hesitated, "I don't
think it's for little kids, dharifulha."
Aish chimed in, "No, they let
kids go on too. The professional doing it stands on it and holds the
other." She took out her phone and showed them a video. "See,"
she said excitedly. "We can all try; it's my treat," she said
enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Aish, but it's also
a school day," Rugiyya said.
"But Tuesday is a holiday,
isn't it? Tell mamma, dhonthi," Afa tugged at Saira's sleeve, and she
confirmed it.
"Just two months working, and
you're already raining money, huh?” Haifa teased. "I don't even know how
much it costs or if they allow non-resort guests to participate," she
said.
"Ask him, then we can
prepare," Aish gave her a big smile.
Haifa spent the rest of the day
showing Aish around the island with Saira and Afa. Though Aish was thrilled
with the island, Haifa felt there was nothing particularly enjoyable to do. It
was not like Male'; the island was quiet and offered little for extravagant
enjoyment. They ended their walk back home, where they lounged leisurely,
enjoying the evening breeze.
"Island life is the best, so
peaceful," Aish said, swinging from the joali hung from the tree, her eyes
closed. "Brings back memories," she said softly.
"What memories? When have you
been to an island?" Haifa inquired, as she too swung her joali.
Startled, Aish looked at her and shrugged,
laughing nervously, "Yeah, you are right." She said quickly,
"Did you call the manager?" she looked like she had just snapped out
of a dream.
Haifa felt like something just
passed on Aish's face, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Was she
changing the subject? She shook her head, dismissing her suspicions. Aish had
never kept secrets from her. She was probably overthinking it.
"Yes, I talked to the manager,
and he said we can arrange a payment," Haifa replied.
Afa cheered from her seat and then
ran inside, likely to share the good news with her mother.
"Let's go for a swim in the
evening tomorrow. I can show you the best beach area. We can make Majaa to eat
there."
Aish's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love
Majaa. Papaya and sour mangoes mixed with chili, lemon, and rihaakuru,"
she said enthusiastically, "Do you mix tamarind?" she asked
hopefully.
Saira chuckled, "Of course, the
full recipe," she assured her.
Aish pretended to faint, "Oh, I
can taste it already!" she moaned.
"So tell us about your
work," Haifa asked, genuinely interested.
Aish made a face, "It's pretty
boring, really. Whole-day meetings or preparing for meetings. Daddy said he
wanted me to work in operations, and they're preparing to construct a new building
in the area." She sighed, "I love the part of actually working. The
meetings are so long; if we could cut that part, we would have so much time to
focus on the real tasks."
"Then why don’t you suggest
that?" Haifa questioned.
Aish chuckled, "Please. I'm a newbie,
and I barely have any experience compared to the people already there. Even the
mail guy has more experience than me," she said with a wry smile.
"But you're not just anyone.
It's basically your company," Haifa pointed out.
"It doesn’t matter, people
won't respect me if I play the boss card every time I want something. People
will judge me for even working there and are probably waiting for me to make
one single mistake to call me out on it," Aish mumbled. "It's so hard
being the special one."
Haifa laughed, "Rich girl's
problems are actual problems, right?" she said teasingly.
Aish joined in the laughter, "I
know, right? No, I really want people to respect me for who I am and see past
who my father is," she said.
"It will take time, but
eventually they will," Saira offered gently.
***
Haifa and Saira went to work the
next morning, leaving Aish to sleep in. Saira seemed to have taken a liking to
Aish, and Haifa felt grateful that they were bonding together. It mattered to
her that they liked each other. Saira was now a part of her close group of
friends.
Haifa went to the office and started
working as usual. Once Saira left for attendance rounds, she immediately
checked for any messages from Aseel. He had finally replied the previous night,
and though his response seemed vague, she didn't care. She was just relieved
that he had replied, which was a start. She apologized and asked when he would
be back so they could talk properly.
Aseel had reluctantly given her the
details of his return flight but had not mentioned Zishan again. Haifa was
fully prepared to promise him she would never speak to or see Zishan again, but
she was relieved that the subject hadn't come up. She had plans with Zishan for
the next two weeks, and cutting off ties with him would be awkward.
At least, that's what she told
herself. She absentmindedly ran her fingers over her leather wristband, the one
she had been wearing to keep her thoughts away from him. However, she felt the
protective effect of it waning. As much as she felt anxious and sad because of
Aseel, she couldn't deny that she felt calm and happy when she thought of
Zishan.
Zishan was a different kind of man, kind,
generous, and undeniably handsome. She never intentionally pictured his face in
her mind, but it appeared like a beautiful dream, surprising her with warmth
and happiness. Yet, he was just a dream, and she had no intention of making it
real. He was like the handsome romance movie character you fantasize about, the
perfect dream, and nothing more.
Haifa had a plan. She decided to ask
her mother for a loan and return to Male' to surprise Aseel when he came back.
She believed that a grand gesture would make him remember how much she loved
him. She intended to bring flowers and perhaps a cake, making the occasion
truly special.
She would stay for a few days to win
him over. She didn't have any more shoots scheduled until later. She couldn't
shoot the aerial footage until she received her salary at the end of the month.
Also, Khalid hadn't provided any updates on a wedding date. Hence, after the
Tuesday shoot, she would have a few weeks free.
It was a secret plan, even hidden
from Aish.
In the end, she would tell Aish, as
she never kept secrets from her best friend. Though she might have neglected to
mention some things here and there, she always shared the truth eventually. It
was her way of handling situations her way, rather than being influenced by
others. Perhaps she was just afraid that Aish would judge her. Maintaining a
balance between friends and her boyfriend, especially when they didn't get
along, was quite tricky.
The same applied to her mother.
Haifa rubbed her temples, feeling the weight of these complicated
relationships. Why was it so difficult for others to like the man she loved?
Why did she have to sneak around to keep everyone happy? Maintaining her love
life sometimes felt like an overwhelming burden, and she wondered how long she
could carry it.
***
Tuesday finally arrived, though it
seemed too slow for Afa's liking. Haifa shared her enthusiasm, not just because
she could see Zishan but also because she was excited about the photo shoot.
The girls got ready early, eagerly waiting until Zishan came to pick them up.
Aish and Saira leaned against the
tree, too hyped to sit. "This Zishan, does he always come to pick you up?
I mean, it's not like we can't find our way." Aish asked in a conversational
tone.
Saira pretended to rub her eyes,
hiding her smile, "He always comes to pick us up and drop us off. He's
quite the gentleman."
Aish continued to smile, "I see.
Is he married?"
Haifa leaning her arms on the
entrance low wall scrolled through her phone. She pretended not to know what
they were talking about but her ears were sharp.
Saira shook her head, "No, not
even a girlfriend. It's quite a waste. He should have a girlfriend."
Afa appeared to be oblivious, but
Haifa knew she was recording the conversation.
"What's his story? Did someone
break his heart? Or maybe he's trying for someone?" Aish continued her
inquiry.
Saira was quick to respond, "I
heard he had a girlfriend when he was in Male'. Something about her choosing
someone else. He came back heartbroken, according to the rumors. I think that's
why he left Male'. It's been years, and he's still mending his heart, I
guess."
Haifa couldn't help but glance at
both of them skeptically. It seemed too rehearsed, and her intuition told her
they were up to something. Despite their straight faces, Haifa's instincts were
tingling. They were purposefully using the conversation just so she could hear
about Zishan. She was about to retort when she spotted the familiar figure
appearing in the distance.
"I think it's best we don't
talk about rumors," Haifa said through clenched teeth, shooting both of
her friends a murderous look. "He would be here any minute, do you want
him to hear you gossiping about him?" she hissed urgently, as they fell
into peels of laughter.
Aish sobered first, saying,
"Sorry, we were just teasing you," with a hint of remorse in her
voice.
Haifa replied, "I know, but
it's not nice to talk about him like that." She didn't appreciate her
friends gossiping about Zishan in such a manner.
Aish blinked at her with surprise.
"You really care for him, don't you?" she asked.
“I… I…” Haifa stammered, struggling
to find the right words as they both studied her closely. She swallowed hard,
her heart in a state of panic. "He has been really kind to me and has done
so much. He's a dear friend," she finally managed to say.
As they exchanged knowing glances,
Haifa's anxiety surged. She didn't want her friends to suspect she had deeper
feelings for Zishan. She wasn't prepared for that discussion; she was still
grappling with her own emotions.
A heavy silence settled over them as
they all hesitated, reluctant to be the first to broach the unspoken topic.
Haifa realized that if they asked her directly, she'd have to deny any romantic
interest in Zishan. She detested the idea of lying to anyone, and the thought
of deceiving her close friends was especially disconcerting. She had tried
various strategies to prevent herself from developing feelings for Zishan,
desperately attempting to quell her thoughts of him.
Haifa pondered whether her feelings
for Zishan would ever fade. They seemed to intensify at an overwhelming pace,
and the burden of keeping it all a secret weighed heavily on her. She felt
wrong and guilty for these emotions and wasn't remotely prepared to entertain
the idea of being romantically involved with anyone other than Aseel.
“Hello, are we all ready for some
fun?” Zishan's voice broke through her contemplation from behind. His presence
was like a refreshing oasis in the scorching desert. She turned to greet him,
masking her inner turmoil with her best fake smile.
Did you love the chapter, please let me know your thoughts
in the comments.
Have a wonderful day!
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